1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle and a control method for a vehicle that enable prompt starting.
2. Description of Related Art
Hybrid vehicles have been known in which an engine and a motor are mounted as drive sources. Here, the engine is an internal combustion engine or the like. An electric storage device is mounted in the hybrid vehicle. The electric storage device is a battery or the like. The electric storage device stores electric power that is supplied to the motor. The battery is charged with the electric power generated by a generator, the electric power regenerated by the motor, and the like. The generator is driven by the engine. The electric power is regenerated during deceleration of the vehicle.
In a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the battery is charged with the electric power that is supplied from the outside of the hybrid vehicle. Then, the plug-in hybrid vehicle uses the charged electric power. The plug-in hybrid vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle. Also, an electric vehicle that has the motor as the primary drive source has been known. These vehicles may hereinafter be referred to as electric motor vehicles.
In the vehicle that travels by using the engine as the primary drive source, the engine can be started by cranking when the engine stops during traveling. At this time, a shift position of an automatic transmission is set in a parking range or a neutral range. The parking range may hereinafter be referred to as a P-range. The neutral range may hereinafter be referred to as an N-range.
A following control device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-092623 (JP 2004-092623 A). It is a control device that permits cranking in response to a user's request to start the engine even when a shift range other than the P-range or the N-range is selected.
However, in such a control device for a vehicle, a process to restart the engine from the time when the engine stops to the time when the engine is restarted in response to the user's request to start the engine is complicated.
Even a regular starting process may be complicated during traveling. The regular starting process refers to an operation to press a start switch while a brake pedal is being depressed. Therefore, it has been difficult to promptly start traveling again.
In addition, in some of the electric motor vehicles, a drive system stops by an erroneous operation of the start switch during traveling.